Sunday, September 27, 2009

Several months ago, my friend Julia called and asked me to whip up a few pillowcase dresses for a couple of babies-on-the-way. Two were completed and delivered immediately...fast forward to last week and the third of four was eeked out.

I delivered it to her front door while she was at work:

I never get to see Julia anymore. Last year at this time we were up to our ears in half-marathon training. The smartest thing that I did during that grueling training program was to find someone to run with who could make me laugh for hours at a time to keep my mind off of my legs and my lungs and my dripping sweat and my aches and my pains and my shin splints and the fact that I still had hours to go! That was Julia.

In addition to the Saturday morning run belly-laughs, she has also given me several of my best recipes. As a reward for all of the yardwork I did today, I made a version of her Cracker Crunch. Here is my interpretation:

Cracker Crunch (my way)

Saltine crackers
Thick caramel sauce (Not in a squeeze bottle, in a jar. MUST be thick)
Dipping Chocolate (I find it in the produce section next to the strawberries)
Sea Salt (It's always in my salt grinder)

Butter the bottom of a glass baking dish. Layer with saltines. Heat caramel sauce in the microwave until pourable. Spread enough caramel sauce to cover the layer of crackers. Add another layer of both crackers and caramel. Top with one more layer of crackers. Heat the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions. Pour over top layer of crackers and sprinkle with sea salt (Just do it. It's not that weird.)
Chill in the fridge until chocolate and caramel have hardened. Cut into pieces.

In Julia's recipe she makes her caramel on the stove with butter and sugar. Other similar recipes melt chocolate and butter (or lard) together instead of using the dipping chocolate. In case you don't know, it is a scientific fact that if you don't add the lard yourself, then it's not really in there. Really, it's a fact.

The dipping chocolate is also all I used to make these chocolate cups for ice cream (or pudding) sundaes.

I promised Anna Jane and Wilson that I would not eat all of the cracker crunch tonight, and that they could have some in the morning. Isn't it cute how gullible they are?

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All materials published on classiccampbell are copyrighted. Please do not publish photos or tutorials from this site without contacting me first. I love to share my ideas and would like to know if you are sharing my ideas as well. Feel free to make sa many items from my tutorials to use as gifts or to sell. Thank you for your understanding!